Demountable-rim tool



P 24, 1929- J. MCCRINK I 1,723,943

DEMOUNTABLE RIM TOOL Filed March 5, 1928 1 M u I nv vnvron A TTOH/VE Y3.

Patented Sept. 24, 1929 UNITED STATES JOSEPH MCCRINK, OF WEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY nEMoUNTABLE-nnvr TOOL Application filed March; 5, 1925. Serial No. 259,029.

This invention relates to a tool for con tract-ing and expanding demountable rims of motor vehicle wheels to facilitate in removing and applying a tire.

One object of the invention is toprovide a tool of this character embodying novel and improved features of construction whereby the tool automatically locks after the rim has been contracted so as to hold the rim so contracted.

' Another object is to provide such a tool which is adapted for initially breaking the joint of the rim to throw the ends thereof out of alignment, and which may also be used for drawing the ends of the rim into alignment after a tire has been applied.

Further objects are to provide a rim contracting and expanding tool including a small number of simple and inexpensive parts which are at the same time strong and durable; to provide such a tool which is easy and safe to operate and which eliminates the possibility of slipping of the tool and injuring of the hands of the operator; to provide such a tool having strong and simply constructed and operated rim engaging clamps or hooks, and to obtain other advantages 1 and results as will be brought out by the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, in which corresponding and like parts are designated throughout the several views by the same reference characters,

Figure 1 is a plan view of my rim contracting and expanding tool illustrated in position on a rim for contracting the same.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the rim contracted.

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken 011 the line 33 of Fig ure 1.

Figure 4 is a View illustrating the manner of using my tool for breaking the joint of a demountable rim, and

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4: showing the manner of using the tool for pulling the ends of the rim into alignment for looking it.

Specificially describing the illustrated embodiment of my invention, my tool comprises an operating lever 1 which is preferably formed of a single flat piece of metal and which has pivotally connected to one end thereof as at 2, a rim engaging clamp or hook A S. lever 1 intermediate the ends of both the lever and said link, and a second rim engaging clamp or hook 7 identical with the clamp 3 A link 5 is pivotally connected at 4: to the is pivotally connected at 6 to the free end of the link 5.

Each of the rim engaging clamps 3 is shown as including a substantially U-shaped portion 9 and integral therewith, the hook portion including another arm 81 substantially parallel to the arm 80. The straight shank portion 9 is connected to the respective lever or link 5. Each clamp also has threadedin the arm a set screw 10 which is arranged to clamp the flange A of the rim between itself and the arm 81 of the respective hook portion.

Asshown in the drawing the arm 11 of the link 5 is shorter than the arm to which the clamp is connected and the extremity thereof is preferably rounded as at 12.

In using the tool the clamp 3 is first secured. to one flange A of the den'iountable rim by means of the set screw 10 and the end 12 of the arm 11 of the link 5 is brought into abutting relation to the flange A at the other end of the rim B as shown in Figure 4; of the drawing. Pressure, is then exerted on the lever 1 in the direction of the arrow which breaks the rim and throws the ends thereof out of alignment as indicated by dot and dash lines. The clamp 3 is then removed and attached to the other end of the rim, after which the clamp 7 is secured to the end of the rim to which the clamp 3 had first been applied. Pressure is then exerted on the lever 1 in the direction of the arrow which ed to the clamps 3 and 7 are slightly offset as at 13 and 14 respectively so that the swings leting ends of the lever and the link may clear the sides of the rim as shown in Figures 2 and 3. However, these otl'sets are such that the hook portions 8 of the clamps are in the plane of swinging of the lever 1, so that the lever will engage the set screw 10 in the clamp 3 and limit swinging of the lever as shown in Figure 2. It will be noted, however that the parts are of such dimensions and so related that the pivots 6, 4, and 2 are brought into dead center relation or slightly beyond as shown by dot and dash lines in Figure 2 so that the tool is automatically locked and holds the rim contracted.

If desired the arm 11 of the link and the lever 1 may be formed with respective openings 15 and 16 arranged to register with each other when the lever and the link are in alignment to receive locking pin 17 for positively holding the tool in locked position,

that is, to hold the lever and the link with the pivots 6, 4s, and 2 in dead center relation. As shown in Figure 3 oi. the drawing if the set screw 10 were omitted the lever 1 would still engage the clamp 3 when the tool is in rim contracting position so as to limit swinging thereof beyond the locked position. To expand the rim it is merely necessary to swing the lever 1 in the direction of the arrow in. Figure 2, which brings the ends of the rim into the position-shown in Figure 5. The clamp 3 is then attached to the outermost end of the rim and the arm 11 brought into engagement with the flange at the other end of the rim after which pressure is exerted on the lever 1 in the direction of the arrow, which draws the ends of the rim into alignment, as shown in Figure 5.

The ends of the rim may be thrown into or out of alignment by means of the tool with the parts in the position shown-in Figure 2 of the drawing, that is with the lever 1 and link 5 in alinement with each other and with the pin 17 inserted through the openings 15 and 16 to hold the lever and link in said aligned position. If the rim is closed, by applying the two rim engaging clips 3 and 7 to opposite ends of the rim and exerting upward or downward pushes or pulls 011 the end of the lever 1, the ends of the rim may be thrown out of alinement, while it the ends of the rim are out of alignment, pushes or pulls on the ends of. the lever 1 will throw the ends oi the 'rim into alinement.

Of course, the ends of the rim may be thrown out of alignment and into alignment a link pivotally connected to said lever intermediate the ends of the latter, and rim engaging clamps each including a straight shank portion and a substantially U-shaped hook portion having one arm offset at an angle to said straight portion and integral therewith and the other arm disposed substantially parallel to the first-mentioned arm to fit over a flange of a demountable rim, said straight portions being pivotally connected respectively to one end of said lever and the free end of said link, each onthe like side of said link and lever and the link being on the opposite side of the lever from the hook to swing in planes parallel to said lever and said link respectively, said link and lever being oi'ii'set in the same direction as said hook to clear the rim as they are moved and said hook portions projecting across the end of the lever into the plane of pivotal movement of said lever and said link so that said hook portion of the clamp connected to said lever serves as a stop to limit movement of said leverin the direction to contract said rim, and a set screw threaded in the first-mentioned arm of each of said hook portions to clamp said flange between said screw and the secondmentioned arm otthe hook portion.

JOSEPH MoGRINK. 

